Thanks again for the amazing response to this story. This chapter wraps up the premiere since there is no way I will get another chapter in before Tuesday. Lots of new footage and spoilers coming out, some of which contradicts what was said earlier regarding the time frame of this episode. This chapter will be shorter than the others as well as I want to get this out.

Mixed reactions on the Tony/Ducky show down. Since Tony still needs to work closely with Ducky, I thought it would be counterproductive for Tony to give him too much verbal abuse and make their future work relationship impossible. As I wrote in the chapter, Ducky still doesn't quite understand.

Ducky had gone silent at Tony's tirade, shocked by his words. Ziva loved Tony? He found that hard to believe but Tony believed it so he had to accept his words. "But Gibbs wouldn't allow that, Tony. You know that, it would never work…"

"That wasn't your decision to make, don't you get that? Ziva didn't want to come back to NCIS to work so I don't give a shit what Gibbs would have wanted or allowed. It's not up to Gibbs and it sure as hell isn't up to you. I love Ziva and we could have been together a year ago if you hadn't decided to give your personal opinion on what was best for me. You have no idea what is best for me. Only Ziva and I can make these decisions regarding our lives and I want you to stay out of it." Tony coughed again and decided to shut up for the moment as he struggled to catch his breath.

Ducky was shocked by Tony's admission and edict, but his medical condition overrode his personal feelings on the matter. "Mr. Palmer, the portable oxygen tank. Agent DiNozzo is in distress!" As Tony heard the pounding footsteps of Jimmy Palmer and felt the mask deliver blessed oxygen to his anguished lungs, he noted that he had indeed been under distress but once again, Ducky had gotten it wrong.

"Lost and Found"- Chapter Fifteen

NCIS- Vance's office

Ziva sat quietly in Director Vance's office, absorbing the shock of recognizing Daniel Budd. She had done everything in her power to remove herself from the ugliness of the world but it kept finding her. She did not like being on the "other side of the table", even if she was not being interrogated as a suspect. Giving a witness interview to provide information was just a step below that from her perspective and she had a sudden appreciation for all those men and women she had taken statements from.

"Thank you, Ziva for letting us speak to you. I know you didn't expect this, and I can appreciate how uncomfortable you must be. But I would also appreciate anything you can tell us about Daniel Budd." Director Vance began, and Ziva was both surprised and relieved by his consideration for her discomfort.

"Thank you, Director. It is…I was shocked when I saw his face and realized I had seen him before. I cannot say I know him...I never spent any time with him and I am not sure I ever said more than "good morning" or "hello" to him." Ziva twisted her hands as she haltingly began her story. Vance nodded thoughtfully, giving her time to gather her thoughts.

"The first time I saw him, I think, was in June of last year at one of the refugee camps just outside of Netivot. He was travelling with a group who called themselves "Children of the World". As I was only the cook, I did not have any contact with these people except at meal times, and then it was minimal. I do remember that they were there to place orphaned children into suitable homes, hopefully for adoption. I believe Budd was with the group that focused on teenagers, but I may be mistaken." Ziva paused and took a drink of the water McGee had thoughtfully provided her.

He was busy with his laptop, trying to find any information on the Children of the World group. "Here it is: "Children of the World- And the Children Shall Inherit the Earth"." McGee read from their website. He frowned. "It also has in its by-line "Helping Children Make a difference and Change the World". That sounds innocent and ominous at the same time."

Vance looked grim. "Well, Budd made sure that motto was lived up to, didn't he? What else have you got, McGee?"

McGee quickly scanned through the website. "It looks like they have teams for different areas. Here is the Middle East team." McGee put the image up on the plasma as both Vance and Ziva rose from their seats to get a better look. Ziva pointed out Budd. "Yes, that is him. Even if he does have a beard here, I recognize his eyes and nose." Ziva looked at the others and pointed out a few. "These men and women were always together when they came. After Netivot, I spent a short time in Re'im; I saw them there as well."

Vance looked sharply at Ziva. "Do you remember if they took any children with them?" Ziva frowned and began pacing as she racked her brain trying to remember an event eight months earlier.

She looked again at the screen, recalling each face in the large communal room. "Yes, I believe they took ten or fifteen boys and girls when they left. They were all in their early teens by their looks. I am sorry I do not have more detail. I had only been in that camp for a few days when they showed up and had not learned the children yet." Ziva felt she was letting them down, but Vance looked excited.

"You have given us very valuable information, Ziva and I thank you for helping. See this man right here?" Vance was pointing at a photo of a young man. "That is Sadiq Samar. He is already in custody. You may have just led us to the entire leadership of The Calling."

Ziva looked at McGee in shock. All the time these people had been within her sphere she had no idea there was anything to suspect in their mission. Perhaps if she had actually sat down and gotten to know any of them she would have picked up on something…Ziva stopped that train of thought as soon as it entered her mind. It was not her job any longer to do that kind of work and to blame herself for not stopping the carnage sooner would serve no useful purpose. Just as she knew that Tony shouldn't blame himself for Gibbs being shot, which she knew he would no matter what she or anyone else told him; she also knew that she had no responsibility as well. That she had not seen through the lies of this group and reported them was not a failure on her part and she finally began to relax.

As she watched McGee and Vance bring up the other members of Budd's team, she finally felt she had come full circle, her past and her present colliding to ensure the future she wanted for herself…and she hoped, for Tony.

NCIS- Bullpen

Tony looked worriedly up toward the mezzanine, wishing he was present during Ziva's interview. The oxygen had revived him to the point that he was able to leave autopsy and head back to his desk to finish his paperwork. His stomach dropped when Abby had told him what had happened in her lab. He was worried that Ziva would be upset that she was once again at the center of evil and wanted to be by her side to help her through any distress she was going through.

However, now that he had finally dictated his report to Bishop since he couldn't type very well with one hand, the adrenaline was dissipating and he was feeling nauseous and weak. He glanced at his arm, wondering just how bad his injury really was. Since everyone was so busy, Palmer had been delegated to finally take him to the hospital to get the medical attention Ducky couldn't provide.

"Tony! I'm sorry I took so long. Are you ready to go? You look terrible." Palmer had rushed out of the elevator and was talking and manhandling Tony to his feet at the same time.

"Can you believe Ziva is back? Well, I guess you can believe it since you've seen her. Good thing I guess that you decided it was "DiNozZoe". Palmer chortled at his own joke on Tony's name but only received a stare in return from Tony. "Sorry, I meant that since Ziva was here…well, you know." Palmer finally trailed off when he realized that Tony was not in the mood to discuss Ziva with him.

"Just get me to the hospital, Palmer. The sooner I get this taken care of the sooner I can get back." Tony gritted his teeth as another wave of nausea hit him. Palmer nodded and held onto his good arm to keep him upright.

"So, why is Dr. Mallard so upset? Did you say something to him?" The words were asked conversationally but Tony could tell the Palmer was either worried or upset. He didn't really care at the moment whether or not Palmer knew about his conversation with the doctor, or how he felt about it.

"Ask him about it Palmer. I'm not exactly in a sharing mood at the moment." Tony kept his tone even but the reminder of his earlier words to Ducky brought a bitter taste in his mouth. He would have loved to say something more strongly worded, but he was mindful that right now with Gibbs out of the picture he needed things to be on an even keel. If that meant he had to swallow his anger to maintain a good working relationship he would do it. But he didn't have to like it and he didn't.

He sighed as he thought about the weeks, maybe months to come while Gibbs was out of commission. Regardless of how he felt about his current circumstances, he needed to keep the team going until some other solution was derived; either Gibbs returning to the Team Leader position or maybe someone else taking over the helm. Tony had mixed feelings about the position, but he knew only time would tell before he made a decision one way or the other. One day at a time, he told himself.

Tony was shocked to see the first rays of daylight as they exited the building. What seemed to take only seconds had lasted hours. His fatigue finally won out and he was grateful that Palmer had thought to bring his car to the curb ahead of time.

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center SICU- Bethesda

"You're kidding, right?" Gibbs glared at the cocky doctor standing at his bedside. Dr. Cyril Taft looked affronted at Gibbs incredulous outburst, crossing his arms in front of him as he prepared to read the riot act to his recalcitrant patient.

"I assure you, Agent Gibbs that I am not. Although I am quite well known for my dry sense of humor and use it often to great effect; I am perfectly serious. You are getting out of bed today, now." Dr. Taft paused to pick up his chart. "Under normal circumstances, you would have been up and walking a day after your knee replacement surgery. Unfortunately, the circumstances weren't normal and your chest injury has delayed your rehabilitation. Having a fragmented bullet rip your insides to shreds will do that." Gibb wince at the doctor's brutally honest assessment of his injury.

"Is this another example of your famous sense of humor? Because I have to tell you Doc, you suck." Gibbs responded dryly, his dislike of doctors and all things medical ratcheted up several notches. Too his surprise, Taft laughed at his remark.

"Yes and yes: sometimes I do suck. But because of my brilliant surgical techniques I am tolerated and have certain privileges that are not afforded to others. Look Agent Gibbs, I really don't give a rat's ass if you like me or not, but you are going to walk out of this hospital." Gibbs eyed the doctor, daring him to a staring contest. Taft was game and they both finally called it a draw.

"Ok, Doc; I'm all yours." Taft looked appalled.

"Oh, I won't be getting you out of bed. The nurses or somebody else do that kind of work." His disdain for work he considered below his station was evident, and Gibbs did not question it. He had his own world view that was very close to Dr. Taft's. It surprised him that maybe they weren't as different as things appeared on the surface.

As on cue, two physical therapists entered the room, looking far too cheerful for Gibbs' comfort, but he gave into the inevitable.

"Fine." He groaned. "Do your worst to me."

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center ER

Tony took in deep breaths as the ER doctor continued to probe at his upper arm. They had given him an axillary block and he felt no pain or any sensation for that matter, but he knew what they were doing and it bothered him immensely.

After sending him to MRI, they found a fragment was still in his arm, close to the bone. Fortunately, the bone wasn't injured in any way, but they still had to perform minor surgery in the Emergency room to remove the fragment and thoroughly clean out the wound. The fragment in question turned out to be a very long and sharp wooden shard. The threat of infection was very high, so they used an antibiotic solution as the irrigant and he was presently attached to an IV dispensing a very high dose of Ciprofloxacin. They had also determined that he had a very hard head, which Tony could have told them without all the medical tests. No fracture, no bleeds, no swelling; just another concussion to add to the account.

"That's it, all done." The doctor finished the final suture and snapped off his sterile gloves. The tech came over and began applying a large dressing. Tony tried to flex his arm to test the bandage, but forgot about the block. His arm was dead weight at the moment. The tech chuckled at his attempt and waved a sling in front of him.

"You'll need to wear this for at least until all sensation returns to your arm. You don't want to mess up something else because you can't feel what you're doing. Is there someone who will be with you?" Tony opened his mouth to respond but the tech kept on talking. "Despite all these drugs we are giving you, there is still a chance of infection. You'll want to keep an eye on the drainage and check your temperature every four hours."

"I get to leave?" Tony finally managed to get a word in edgewise. The tech looked surprised.

"You have to be practically dead before we admit you, sorry to be so blunt but that's how it is." The tech shrugged; clearly not apologetic in the least. "Is there someone here for you?" Tony thought about that.

"Someone is supposed to come, but I don't know if she got here yet." Tony had been told by Bishop that she would tell Ziva where he was and give her his car keys so she could meet up with him at the hospital. "Can you give me my phone? I can send her a text." The tech rummaged through his belongings and handed over the phone. Tony held it in one hand and stared at it, perplexed how he was going to manage this.

"Here, give it to me." The tech held up the phone so Tony could type up a very simple text. Less than ten seconds after he hit "send" he got a response:

"In the waiting room." Tony sagged in relief. "She's here, in the waiting room. Her name is Ziva. You can't miss her; she'll be the most beautiful woman you've ever seen." Tony smiled wide, his sincerity eliciting an arched eyebrow from the ER Tech.

"Ok, I'll go find the most beautiful woman in the world." He left the room and Tony stared at the walls, thinking about the evening's events. They actually got Budd! He had to keep wrapping his mind around that. He suddenly chastised himself, realizing he hadn't asked about Joanna yet. She had clearly been more seriously injured than he had been, but he had no idea of how bad it really was. He hoped she would be ok; too many had died at the hands of this man.

That reminded him of Gibbs. He wondered briefly if he and Ziva should stop by and see him before they leave. He wasn't sure if he was physically up to it but it would also depend on how Ziva was coping after the surprising revelations. A soft knock on the door brought him out of his musings.

"Come on in." He called out, hoping it was Ziva and not Palmer. The soft brown eyes that greeted him swelled his heart. The brief time they had been apart tonight had felt like years and he was slightly panicked that he wouldn't see her again. He knew he would need to rid himself of this fear of letting her out of his sight.

"Are you ok?" Ziva looked tired and very worried, but Tony was glad to see that she didn't look upset or angry or any of the other negative adjectives he worried about. She came to his side and peered closely at his arm. "I saw the explosion on the plasma in Abby's lab. I thought…I was so worried, Tony." Her voice caught with her emotion and Tony gently took her hand with his good one.

"I'm fine, just got hit by some debris blown away by the explosion." Tony murmured softly, caressing her hand. He had forgotten what it was like to have someone be worried about him and he found that the sensation was one he wanted to get used to.

"You are not brain injured?" Ziva asked, obviously not buying that he only had the one injury. Tony gave her a mock look of insult, but understood her disbelief. He would have asked the same question if he didn't already know the answer.

"Well, not a serious one. Got knocked out, came to; have a concussion but nothing serious, I promise." Ziva looked closely at him to make sure he was not making light of his injury but finally relaxed when she saw the honesty in his face.

"Are they admitting you?" She asked, looking around the room as if that would answer the question. Tony shook his head.

"Nope, they're kicking me out. So I'm all yours once I get the discharge papers." He paused for a moment, sizing up her current state of exhaustion. "Since we're here, we can stop by and check on Gibbs. That is, if you're up to it." Ziva looked surprised at the suggestion.

"You are not too tired? Tony, you have been up all night and just had a lot of medical things done to you. I do not want you to overdo it." Ziva frowned slightly. She did think it might be a good idea to see Gibbs since they were at the hospital, but her concern for Tony overrode any desire she may have.

"I think I'll be ok for a quick visit. We can play it by ear. Hey, he could be asleep." Tony hoped Ziva would agree. He felt a need to tell Gibbs they got Budd, assuming no one else had already shared the news. Ziva gave him a long look and finally sighed.

"Ok, we will go see him on the way out. But the minute you look like you are going to keel over that is it." Tony grinned at take-charge Ziva. He had missed her feisty attitude and it made his heart light.

A half an hour later, Tony was seated in a wheelchair much to his embarrassment with his left arm in a sling. Ziva chuckled at his grousing but reminded him that if he fell over or something while they were still here they would never let him leave. That stopped his complaints for the moment. He still wished he could maneuver the chair himself but with only one good arm he had to rely on Ziva to get him mobile and in a generally forward direction.

By the time they arrived at the ICU, Tony had enough. "I am not rolling into Gibbs' room, Ziva. It's bad enough that I'm going to have to explain this sling." Tony looked miserably at his still numb and useless arm. Ziva patted his chest in comfort.

"Do you think Gibbs is going to lecture you? Do not be silly, Tony. Come on, I will help you. Did they give you any pain medicine? You must tell me if you feel faint." Tony was starting to rethink the whole "having someone take care of you" scenario. Ziva was practically hovering over him; which was nice but so incongruous to the Ziva David he knew.

"Gibbs!" Ziva open her eyes wide in shock as they entered the room. There was Leroy Jethro Gibbs, sitting up in a chair looking ready to murder someone. "You are out of bed! So soon?"

Gibbs had looked up when Ziva spoke and his anger vanished when he saw his missing agent. "Ziver…" he croaked out. Ziva rushed over to him and gave him a light hug, careful to not disrupt any medical equipment that was attached to him. Tony was left standing to his own devices, which he didn't mind too much. He raked his eyes over Gibbs, trying to look at everything.

"Looking good, Boss." He offered cheerfully. Gibbs eyed his Senior Field Agent, his eyes wandering down to his left arm.

"Aw, Hell Tony. What did you do this time?" Gibbs growled.

Tony decided he would not be put off by his demeanor and attributed it to cabin fever. "Just a scratch. Got blown up, you know the usual. Oh, yeah, we got Daniel Budd." Gibbs' face had been getting darker with anger as Tony glibly talked about his wounds but at Budd's name his eyes lit up.

"What? Where?"

"Navy Yard, decided to blow us up or get Luke or hell, I have no idea what he was thinking. But he didn't get very far." He paused and lowered his voice. "Joanna Teague was injured in the blast as well but I don't have a report on her yet." Gibbs leaned back in his chair at that, disturbed by this news.

"Wait, what do you mean he was coming to get Luke? Where is Luke?" Gibbs' stared hard at Tony. He had told him to protect the boy, to make sure he was ok. Was he in a safe place or did they screw that up too?

"Luke Harris is under armed guard in our lock up. Looking at a lot of time for attempted murder of a Federal Agent." Tony replied grimly. He remember their exchange as Gibbs lay bleeding to death in the sandy marketplace. Gibbs wanted to argue with Tony, but he just didn't have the strength or will at the moment.

"We'll discuss this later, DiNozzo."

Tony shrugged his good shoulder. "I would expect no less. You look good; don't harass the nurses too much. Ziva, are you ready?" Ziva looked over at Tony in surprise. She could sense the tension in the room; a tension she didn't like or understand but it was not her place to get involved in their case. She nodded and gave Gibbs a quick kiss on his cheek.

"We will talk later, yes?" With that, Ziva took Tony's arm and led him out of the room. "You are tired, Tony. Let me take you home, you will feel much better then." Tony was getting into the wheelchair, but stopped at her words.

"Home?" His voice was almost a whisper, as if he was afraid he had misheard her words. Ziva smiled softly, understanding his question. She placed her hands on his face and slowly laid her forehead against his.

"I am fighting for you Tony. I will always fight for you."

NCIS Bullpen- Two Months Later

Everyone stood around in the bullpen, waiting for the guest of honor to arrive. It had been a long, hard recovery but Gibbs has finally been cleared to return to work. No one was sure what he would be doing, and there had been anxious discussion among the team how they were going to handle things. Much to his surprise, Jimmy Palmer found himself to be the go to guy for bouncing things off of. Tony had continued as Team Leader while Gibbs was in rehab, but he wasn't sure he enjoyed it. He often found himself almost mimicking Gibbs, doling out head slaps and giving snarky remarks.

Tim had taken him aside and asked him to stop with the Probie this and Probie that, as well as no more head slaps please. Tony had been shocked that he had channeled Gibbs so closely. It was so second nature that he didn't even realize he was doing it and made an effort to control things.

Despite the uncertainty on the work front, life at home was more than he could ask for. After Budd was captured and they went home, there was never any more discussion of Ziva finding someplace else to live. She did help Gibbs a lot at home, but she always was there at night for Tony. His twin bed quickly expanded to a queen, and now they were seriously considering looking for a larger place to live. "Maybe you can't have two full cups." Tony mused to himself. "But if I have to choose, I know which cup I will take."

The information Ziva had been able to provide had resulted in the complete dismantling of The Calling. Vance had lobbied hard to get Ziva to return to the fold, but she had demurred. Tony stood by her the entire time, letting her fight her own battles but being there to offer love and support when it was needed, especially when the rest of the alphabet soup started bidding for her services. She finally told everyone she was pregnant and they started to leave her alone. Tony had almost fainted when she told him what she had done, but after she had reassured him that she had made it up to get rid of everyone, the color returned to his cheeks.

"Do not worry, Tony. When it really happens you will be the first to know. Well, maybe the second." She gave him a quick kiss and sauntered into the bedroom. Tony dropped his jaw but quickly got his wits about him and rushed after her. A torrid night of love making had them both thinking that maybe they should start making some plans.

The ding of the elevator brought everyone to attention. Slowly, but on his own accord, Leroy Jethro Gibbs entered the bullpen that had been an integral part of his adult life. He had always felt he would be lost without it, but as he gazed around at the familiar faces and equally familiar orange walls, he didn't feel relief. He felt empty. It was no longer home to him.

The clapping started on the mezzanine as Director Vance looked down on his agents, so reminiscent of when they had returned after rescuing Ziva that Tony felt his eyes water. So much had happen between the two events. Things were nothing like they used to be, and Tony understood that they never would be the same. Maybe it was time for Anthony D. DiNozzo to map out the rest of his life, to find out what he really wanted and make it happen instead of waiting for it to happen.

As Gibbs sat at his desk and received the well-wishes of the people of NCIS, Tony held back and silently slipped away. He pulled out his cell phone and punched in the numbers committed to memory.

"He is there?" Ziva throaty voice sent waves of warmth through him.

"Yes, he's here, sitting at his desk. I don't know how late I'm going to be…"

"It is fine, Tony. I understand all too well, remember?" Ziva chuckled. She still hadn't decided what she wanted to do yet, but that was fine with Tony. She didn't have to do anything if she didn't want to, as long as she was happy.

They both paused, their deep breaths calming and centering. Each knew that change was in the air, change that could alter their life paths. But as frightening as the unknown was, they knew that they had someone who would always be there, who would always have their back.

"I know. I was just calling to tell you I love you. And I'll be home as soon as I can." Tony leaned against the wall, smiling as he pictured her soft curls and even softer skin.

Ziva closed her eyes as unexpected emotion threaten to overwhelm her. She didn't know what she had done to deserve this happiness, but she was done questioning the motives of others and whether or not she was worthy. She finally found what she had been looking for: what had been lost was now found, and she was never leaving again.

"I love you too, Tony. Always."

Hope you liked it. Doubt I will write more, especially since GG has made it clear in his interviews that there is absolutely no chance Ziva David will return this year. Thanks for reading and supporting the story. Not sure if I will actually watch the premiere or not.